Apple and Ginger Crumble

These cute little fruit crumbles are great fun to make. You can probably have a great time making with the kids. If you have any, that is. Parenting advice: kids are for life, not just for crumbles so don’t go having them just to make fruity desserts.

These are quick and easy to make, they’re gluten-free and if you use non-dairy spread instead of butter can be vegan too. They’re made with porridge oats which a) makes them super-tasty and b) means they’re fibre-rich and good for your cholesterol levels.

I made them with apple and ginger but more or less any fruit would do, I’d say.

Mini Fruit Crumbles

Makes 4

Ingredients

1 large cooking apple
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
4 tbsps demerara sugar
8 tbsps porridge oats
25g butter (or non-dairy spread)

Method
1 Heat the oven to 400F / 200C / Gas Mark 6 / Fan 180C.
2 Chop the apple into small pieces (ditch the core, of course, but don’t bother to peel it). Split evenly between four dessert-sized ramekins.*
3 Spread the grated ginger evenly over the apple.
4 Sprinkle a dessert spoon of sugar on top of the apple and ginger in each ramekin.
5 In a bowl, mix the oats, remaining sugar and the butter together. Blend with your fingertips until it resembles chunky breadcrumbs.
6 Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins.
7 Cook for 35-40 minutes until the crumble is golden brown.

Serve with creme fraiche# or natural yoghurt.
*If you don’t have ramekins, you can simply make this in an ovenproof dish – not as cute but just as tasty.
#I always use half-fat creme fraiche as I honestly can’t tell the difference in flavour between that and full fat.